Farhad Majoo: The Whiteboard as Tech Secret Weapon

WSJ tech columnist Farhad Manjoo explains how the use of whiteboards has unleashed creativity and success in Silicon Valley.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

... I ... many of us alone in the lessons of life from a good old fashioned but more just like this one and we go along just fine ... Silicon Valley in May upgraded with white boards and that has made all the difference ... welcome to Digits I'm Simon Qassam ago Farhad Manjoo joining us now from ... from summonses go and five s your view is that the the whiteboard your wife or the gall that battle might Black Forest as what you think why do you think that before I tell you you're wrong ... the reason to Stansted and white works ... with interesting that it's a lot of high tech companies ... I it's not the only rely on these very ... old fashioned ... technology and eight analog and digital technology ... as a key part of their innovation ... their products in India for their companies ... in a way where is is one of them the tools that companies ... use to come up with all of the ... the the highest accepted that we use to ... it in a ... nineteen you write about a company that has old walls painted with stuff that's ... appropriate that dry erase markers of a city in graffiti everywhere that that's the bit ... I knew say that a creativity and that particular environment ... leads to a lot of innovation I am I getting this right ... yes it is the isthe ... this is ... a company issues at the last team to take notes ... in a way to go with your mobile phone in your current ... lender any any digital divide is ... what is the isthe upwards is great on their walls are covered in ... dry race for the PC end ... I didn't see design products and work on problems at ... all it's just an ... that's this week's ... easiest way that didn't work ... that is ... you get a few people can get there and its work on it right there ... and after weaker conference room or or even ... worse the aam below the software work on and on a machine ... man I knew who crier ... it would be an instant as the one where it's available everywhere ... I do love liable to make you look like what the man but very useful for exactly this reason but this is my contention that many of those nominees symptoms of a creative work environments ... on the real issue ... is that an environment ... that the intense creativity in Swan plant ... ideas that I'm good at odds with a look that's a without prejudice is that his laugh at ... them I owe my on to something else ... yes ... you're reading me ... it's true ... many inmates of the companies they try to foster creativity where I think is interesting is that the ... try views on where the digital versions of WageWorks ... interactive white boards rate works the screen can be ... shared ... with people in different offices and ... went to the ... people who use to try and it is that there ... is the isthe as the yen on to write an interesting is that ... they're right ... all the students will it be better ... attempts to sit on your Super's it finance a bid to be father that they using this because they work for the oh wait to get out lots of ID is and and and and people can say ok let ... let's of all that is before we decide which ones on on a walk ... yes ... I mean it's ... easy to start ... coming ... important in the whole ... idea ... for you because you drop it somewhere like the actual design of the product of and very high level ... people in ... SC Johnson is a master this when ... you are going inside ... I just by sitting ... on the way where ... and yet it happens here ... orders here and that's how the design software ... and he was very quickly with or is that isn't so he he he he just didn't get the main functions of software ... I didn't get lost in the States ... and I know is I'm I'm I'm I'm a black ball back into the semi that I also like napkins that the stock and is on napkins is bright stuff ... thank you very much Farhad Manjoo Oval will Street gentle we appreciate time so ... time Simon Qassam on that's it ...